185

At night, Isabella arranged to meet Olivia at a bar for drinks.
They drank until they were completely drunk, stumbling arm in arm as they left the bar, each complaining about their woes, paying no attention to what lay ahead.
Then, without noticing, Isabella bumped into a man. She staggered back a few steps, holding her forehead, feeling like she was seeing stars.
She squinted to see the man clearly. With some surprise, she said, “Henry, it’s you!”
Henry looked at her coldly, a smirk forming at the corner of his lips after a brief moment of shock.
“Anywhere I go, I bump into you, Isabella. We really are fated,” he said mockingly.
She leaned against the wall, giving him a cold stare, thinking to herself: What kind of fate is this?
“Olivia, let’s go,” Isabella pulled Olivia, attempting to leave. But just as she took a step, Henry grabbed her wrist.
He held her delicate wrist tightly, pushing her back against the wall, causing her spine to hit the hard surface, making her wince in pain.
“Henry, are you looking for a fight?” she said, irritated.
Henry’s face darkened, his grip on her wrist tightening, the veins on the back of his hand becoming visible. His breath carried a strong smell of alcohol.
Clearly, he had been drinking.
Ever since Andrew and Isabella’s relationship became public, he’s annoyed, almost every night found himself drowning his sorrows at the bar.
“Isabella, you’re so uncouth. You really don’t seem like her at all. What does Andrew see in you?” Henry sneered.
Isabella pressed her lips together, furrowing her brows, staring at him without speaking. She was pondering whom Henry meant by ‘her’.
With a mocking smile, Henry continued, “What do you love Andrew? If I were the heir of the Turner family consortium, wouldn’t you be in my bed right now?”
The disdain and sarcasm in Henry’s tone were too much for Isabella. She lifted her foot and stomped on his foot with her high heel.
Henry stepped back in pain, letting go of her hand. This human girl had been provoking him repeatedly. He really wanted to show her the ferocity of a male werewolf.
Rubbing her wrist, Isabella glared at the red marks he left, wanting to kick him again.
“Henry, do you think women only go for men’s money?”
“Isn’t that the case?” Henry snorted.
“So shallow, so vulgar, it’s no wonder you’re unloved,” she retorted, looking at him disdainfully, “Andrew is more handsome, has a better physique, is mature and smiles more charmingly than you. With such a great man, why would I even look at you? I’m not blind.”
After giving Henry a piece of her mind, she felt much better, almost sobering up from the alcohol.
She tossed her long hair, about to leave the bar. However, as she turned around, she froze in place.
Andrew stood behind her, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He was unusually not in a suit, wearing a simple deep blue striped shirt, sharp trousers. The shirt sleeves were casually rolled up, the collar buttons undone, one hand casually in his pocket.
His deep blue eyes, full of smiles, looked at her.
Her delicate porcelain-like face turned red instantly. Suddenly recalling what she had just said about his charming smile, she thought, why does he have to smile so nicely? He won’t fool her again!
“Boss, the car is parked at the entrance,” assistant Nathan approached, respectfully reporting.
“Well,” Andrew nodded gently, instructing, “Take Isabella’s friend home.”
“Yes,” Nathan walked over to Olivia, offering his arm to support her, politely asking, “Miss, can you walk on your own?”
“Yes, I can,” Olivia wasn’t so drunk that she couldn’t walk. Being considerate, she didn’t want to be a third wheel and followed Nathan out.
Andrew glanced at Henry and said indifferently, “You should head home too, don’t always make Grandma worry.”
“I got it, uncle,” Henry responded. He always behaved in front of Andrew.
Satisfied, Andrew naturally took Isabella’s hand and walked out of the bar together.
The bar was located on a long, deserted street.
Isabella stood by the side of the road, the cold night wind piercing through her thin clothes. She crossed her arms, shivering slightly from the cold, but stubbornly refused to acknowledge him.
With some resignation, he reached out from behind to embrace her. His broad, warm chest enveloped her slender body. The familiar warmth made her feel somewhat dazed.
However, Elysia’s words suddenly flashed in her mind: “Andrew is particularly fierce in bed, he loves fucking me from behind.”
Feeling nauseated, she struggled to break free from his embrace.
“Andrew, don’t touch me!”
Under the dim streetlight, Andrew’s tall figure stiffened slightly. The faint light outlined his handsome features, casting a long shadow behind him. In the darkness, his silhouette appeared lonely and forlorn, evoking a sense of heartache.
His face was almost expressionless, his deep blue eyes cold and proud.
“Why not!” His voice was icy.
She glared at him, almost jumping in anger. How could he dare to ask why she didn’t want him to touch her?
“Andrew, why should I let you touch me? I’m not your wife.”
After hearing her, he looked at her deeply, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his lips. “You’re right. Let’s go, let’s go get our marriage certificate now.”
Before she could react, he reached for her wrist, forcefully pulling her against his chest with one hand while signaling for a taxi with the other. He opened the door and pushed her into the cab.
As she stumbled into the back seat, she shouted in frustration, “Andrew, stop messing around!”
“Who’s messing around?” He couldn’t help but laugh, his smile filled with deep resignation. “Ever since we returned from Germany, you’ve been distant. Is it because of Elysia?”
“So you know!” She hesitated for a moment before falling silent.
Without saying another word, he lit a cigarette. He rolled down the window and let the smoke dissipate into the air.
When he called Isabella earlier, her cold tone had aroused his suspicion. So, he had Nathan look into it, quickly discovering Elysia’s confrontation with Isabella at the airport.
Now, sitting in the driver’s seat, the driver turned to them, “Sir, where would you like to go?”
“The Civil Affairs Bureau,” Andrew said, forcefully shutting the car door.
The engine roared to life as the car moved in the direction of the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Inside the confined space, there was a brief silence, the atmosphere heavy and stifling.
Taking a deep breath, Isabella said, “It’s late, the Civil Affairs Bureau is closed.”
Ignoring her, he picked up his phone and dialed Nathan’s number, instructing, “Contact the Civil Affairs Bureau and ask the marriage registration office to work overtime tonight…”
She didn’t wait for him to finish speaking before snatching his phone and ending the call.
He frowned at her but said nothing, leaving them in a brief standoff.
Then, the car stopped.
“We’ve arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau,” the driver said.
Andrew got out of the car immediately and headed towards the office building of the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Isabella was left behind, but after paying the fare, she hurriedly caught up with him.
He stood in front of the main entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, looking up at the dark office building.
“Even if the Civil Affairs Bureau is open now, I didn’t bring my ID or household registration booklet,” she said, stopping beside him.
Hearing this, Andrew looked at her calmly. “Want to make a bet? If we can get our marriage certificate tonight, you’ll willingly marry me. If not, I won’t bother you again.”
The night wind was cold, and he was only wearing a thin shirt, yet he stood tall and independent.
Isabella instinctively held his hand; his palm was as warm as ever. “Mr. Andrew, you’re capable of anything. I don’t bet.”
She wouldn’t treat marriage as a gamble.
After saying this, she turned and sat on a bench by the road, directly facing the Civil Affairs Bureau building.
Andrew sat next to her, frowning slightly as he smoked.
The night was quiet. They sat side by side, and they could even hear each other’s breathing.
The smoke dispersed along his fingertips, and his deep, husky voice reached her ears through the haze.
“What did Elysia say?”
“Don’t you already know what she said?” she replied, annoyed.
“I don’t know. But it’s definitely not something good,” he said, exhaling smoke.